The final regulatory hurdle to Cellnex acquiring more than 24,600 CK Hutchison’s sites in six European countries has been given approval. The series of agreements first announced in November 2020 covered Austria…

The final regulatory hurdle to Cellnex acquiring more than 24,600 CK Hutchison’s sites in six European countries has been given approval.

The series of agreements first announced in November 2020 covered Austria, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Italy and the United Kingdom and had originally been obstructed by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) who said that the original UK deal would lead to a “substantial lessening of competition in the supply of access to developed macro sites and ancillary services to wireless communication providers in the UK.”

The CMA has now approved the Cellnex acquisition of CK Hutchison’s 6,000 passive telecom infrastructure sites in the UK, subject to the divestment of around 1,000 of existing UK sites which overlap geographically with the CK Hutchison sites to be acquired.

Now that the deal can progress, it equates to an investment of around €10 billion and will incorporate addition of 600 new sites in the UK as part of up to 5,250 new sites being added across the six countries over the next eight years.

Cellnex CEO Tobias Martinez commented: “The combined agreements with CK Hutchison not only strengthen our position as a key pan-European operator, but also reinforce our partnerships with our customers and open up new opportunities and approaches for collaboration. Fundamentally, this rationalisation of infrastructure will create the required incentives to unlock, improve and extend mobile coverage, including 5G, across these key markets.”

You can meet Cellnex at Connected Britain on the 20-21 September 2022. Find out more HERE

David McCourt, Chairman of National Broadband Ireland gave a stark warning to the U.S., « If the U.S. doesn’t provide universal access, it will ensure that the Americans who are already struggling to compete in the global economy will fall further behind& »…

David McCourt, Chairman of National Broadband Ireland gave a stark warning to the U.S., « If the U.S. doesn’t provide universal access, it will ensure that the Americans who are already struggling to compete in the global economy will fall further behind ».

McCourt who is also the inaugural Economist in Residence at USC’s Annenberg school, was writing on the Nasdaq, Inc. website and said that it is now time for the U.S. to follow Ireland’s lead by embracing a comprehensive, inclusive, and technologically-forward broadband plan to ensure every American – rich or poor – has access to the internet.

Today, about 25% of Americans don’t have access to broadband at home, but studies, such as that completed by Deloitte into the US Digital Divide, have shown that a 10% increase in broadband access could result in 875,000 new jobs and $186 billion in economic output.

McCourt further went on to argue for an independent provider to build a broadband infrastructure for all Americans in an equitable manner, suggesting that the likes of like Verizon and AT&T have failed the American public as they have sought to pursue their own business interests.

Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has seen $65 billion allocated to broadband expansion. It has never been a more interesting time to explore the development of a #ConnectedAmerica. Sign up to the dedicated Total Telecom America newsletter HERE

Twelve months ago Canada’s Rogers Communications agreed to buy Shaw Communications in a transaction valued at CAD 26 billion, proclaiming the combination of the two networks would create the possibility of “unprecedented wireline and wireless broadband and network investments…

Twelve months ago Canada’s Rogers Communications agreed to buy Shaw Communications in a transaction valued at CAD 26 billion, proclaiming the combination of the two networks would create the possibility of “unprecedented wireline and wireless broadband and network investments, innovation and growth in new telecommunications services, and greater choice for Canadian consumers and businesses.”

It seems not everyone agreed, and now Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne has stated that the the wholesale transfer of Shaw’s wireless licences to Rogers is fundamentally incompatible with the government’s policies for spectrum and mobile service competition – he is quoted as saying “I will simply not permit it,”

Three separate regulators are currently reviewing the deal and Champagne is not the only one who will be pleased if the deal does not go ahead. Smaller rival Quebecor, who announced their plans to launch a national cellphone network last November, said « The pending Competition Bureau of Canada decision on the Rogers-Shaw transaction could also be an opportunity to create the dynamics for real, sustainable competition, for the benefit of Canadians,”

Quebecor further pointed out that Bell, Rogers and Telus already control 90 percent of Canada’s mobile market and so believe the regulars should move for more competition in the market.

Rogers and Shaw on the other hand argue the deal is in the interests of Canadian’s with ongoing affordable wireless plans, initiatives to reach every Canadian where the combined company offers internet services, and plans create up to 3,000 net new jobs.

Canada’s Competition Bureau launched an investigation into the deal last September, whilst Rogers and Shaw have again stated that they believe the deal will close in the first half of 2022. If Rogers aren’t allowed to buy all of Shaw’s wireless business, it does not mean the deal cannot go ahead – but concessions will certainly have to be made.

The founders of London-based investment group LetterOne have resigning from the board following EU imposed sanctions on the Russian billionaires this week…

The founders of London-based investment group LetterOne have resigning from the board following EU imposed sanctions on the Russian billionaires this week. Founded in 2013 by Mikhail Fridman, LetterOne has investments in telecom CSP’s including Turkcell, Veon, and Upp as well as cloud-based provider of BSS software, Qvantel.

Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven who have both stepped down, together own slightly less than 50 per cent of the group and whilst the businesses they invest in are not directly affected by sanctions, the move has meant to remove the risk of reputational damage. Former UK Labour government minister Lord Mervyn Davies will take control of the group.

LetterOne hit the UK headlines last year as a major investor in Upp who plan to invest £1billion to deploy a full fibre network to one million premises by 2025 in Eastern England. Upp is currently live in Stamford in Lincolnshire and Diss in Norfolk.

MTN have reiterated their commitment to supporting innovation by becoming the the first African company to enter the metaverse. Today they have announced the purchase of 144 plots of digital land in the Africarare metaverse Ubuntuland…

MTN have reiterated their commitment to supporting innovation by becoming the the first African company to enter the metaverse. Today they have announced the purchase of 144 plots of digital land in the Africarare metaverse Ubuntuland, which will showcase some of the best of African art, fashion, entertainment, sport, tech and creativity.

Ubuntuland is being developed by Africarare and Mann Made Media. Mic Mann, co-founder of Africarare was quoted as saying “We’ve seen an immense amount of growth in the NFT space marketplace and Metaverses across the US, Europe, Asia, there hasn’t been much coming out of Africa. We feel there’s a great opportunity for Africa to take part in this new world.”

MTN‘s move is part of it’s wider policy of positioning itself as a technology company, rather than a telecommunications company and is aligned with the companies Ambition 2025 strategy. Bernice Samuels, MTN’s Group Executive for Marketing said « We have always been at the forefront of technological and digital changes and we remain alive to the exciting opportunities the metaverse presents for us and our customers’’.